Hemmed material and method of making the same



March 16, 1948. c. SEAMAN HEMMED MATERIALS AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb. 20, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR. Cb'A/PL as SEAMAN C. SEAMAN March 16, 194.

HEMMED MATERIALS AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb. 20, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. CHARL 5.5 SEAMAN BY ATTORNE 'K March E6 3948. c, SEAMAN 2,437,976

HEMMED MATERIALS AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb. 20, 1945 4 SheetsSheet 3 IN VEN TOR. HA RL 5 SEAMAN ATTORNEY Patented Mar, 16, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEMIVIED MATERIAL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Claims. 1

straight stitches which pass through each of they plies adjacent the said inner edge. Due to the stitches, the hem is characterized by a rigidity at the row of stitches which, in many cases, is greater than that of the original material. Frequently in such hemmed materials, when longitudinal stress is applied to the material, the stitches will crack or break, thereby releasing the portion of the hem secured thereby.

An object of this invention is to provide a hemmed material having a new and novel stitch.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hemmed material in which the hem is stitched to the base material at spaced intervals throughout its length.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a hemmed material in which the hem is secured to the base mate-rial by spaced crossstitches only.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and novel method for producing the hemmed material,

Other and additional objects will become apparent hereinafter.

The objects of the invention are accomplished, in general, by folding the longitudinal edge of the material to be hemmed to form an edge fold having top and bottom plies, with the original free edge of the material positioned intermediate said top and bottom plies, feeding the thus-folded material so that the hem is out of the path of travel of a normally vertically reciprocating needle whereby only the base material is stitched and, at predetermined intervals of time, causing the needle to form substantially V-shaped crossstitches which penetrate all the plies of the hem adjacent the inner edge thereof and secure the hem in position.

The above method can be produced by a standard one needle sewing machine provided with a suitable folder and provided with an attachment having means which is actuated at predetermined intervals of time to engage the normally vertically reciprocating needle of a standard sewing ma chine and shift or incline the needle and release the needle whereby, due to its inherent flexibility, it will return to its original vertical position in time to properly present the needle thread to the looper of the machine. The shifting and release of the needle results in a substantially vashaped cross-stitch. The means which engages and shifts the needle is actuated through means 0D- eratively connected to the pulley end of the ma. chine. As will become apparent from the description hereinafter, the machine will operate in its normal manner to produce a predetermined number of straight stitches which do not secure the hem but are intermediate the spaced cross? stitches which secure the hem.

The. invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of an apparatus for producing the hemmed material;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1, with the head thereof broken away;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an end View of the machine shown in Figure 2 and looking to the left thereof;

Figure 5 is an end View of the machine shown in Figure 2 and looking to the right thereof;

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the mechanism for shifting the needle and also showing (in sec,- tion) how it is mounted;

Figure '7 is an end view looking to the left in Figure 6';

Figure 8 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the mechanism for actuating the needle-shifting means;

Figure 9 is a top plan view showing the arrangement of the folder, and the guide for uiding the folded material through the path of travel of the needle;

Figure 10 is a front elevation of the guide mechanism;

Figure 11 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the hemmed material showing the feed steps exaggerated at points of stitching; and

Figure 12 is a section taken on the line l.2l2 of Figure 11.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like parts, the ref.- erence numeral I (see Figures 1, 2, 5 and 9) designates the base of a sewi g hine head of n standard type carrying a standard and an overhanging arm 2 provided at one end with a needle head 3, in which reciprocates a needle bar 4 carrying a needle 5. On the opposite end of the overhanging arm, there is a pulley 6 which is driven from any suitable source of power, such as a belt or otherwise. The pulley 6 is operatively connected to a shaft 1 which is provided with known means for reciprocating the needle bar 4. Slidably mounted in the head 3 is a presser foot ba 8 which is adapted to be drawn upwardly by means of a manually actuated lever I 0. A presser foot I2 is secured on the presser foot bar 8 .by means of a set screw I4. On the rear of the overhanging arm 2 (as shown in Figure 2), there is provided a stud I6 on which there is pivotally mounted a lever I8 intermediate its ends. Though not shown in the drawings, one end of the lever I8 is engageable with the presser foot bar 8 and the other end, which terminates beneath the base I, is adapted to be engaged by the knee of th operator to elevate the presser foot bar 8.

The machine, as shown in Figure 5, is provided with feed dogs 20 which are carried on a four-motion feed dog-operating lever 22. One end of the feed dog-operating lever 22 is pivoted at 24 to one end of a link 26, the other end of the link 26 being secured on a rock shaft 28. The opposite end of the feed dog-operating .lever 22 is provided with a slot 30. A pin 32 is positioned in the slot and is mounted eccentrically of a rock shaft (not shown) The machine is also provided with a hook 36 and a bobbin case 38 in which a bobbin 40 is secured in the usual manner. The machine is also provided with a throat plate 42 having slots, through which the feed dogs 20 pass, and a sliding cover plate 44. The throat plate 42 is also provided withan aperture 45 through which the needle passes,

The details of construction of the sewing machine head and appurtenant mechanisms thus far described are those found in any standard sewing machine, such as a 95-10 Singer sewing machine.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the presser foot I2 is provided with a curved toe 46 and is positioned in spaced relationship rearwardly of the needle 5.

The attachment for producing the cross-stitches comprises a bracket 50 provided with a hole 52 whereby it is securely positioned on the stud IS on the rear of the overhanging arm. As shown in Figure 5, the bracket 50 is also supported on the machine head by means of a support 54, one end of which is secured by means of the screw 56 to the bracket,'and the other end thereof being secured to the machine head at 58. bracket 50 carries the needle-shifting means and the means for actuating the needle-shifting means, both of which will hereinafter be described.

The needle-shifting means (as shown in Figures 1, 6 and 7) comprises a needle pusher finger 60 which is secured by means of a set screw 62 in an aperture in a horizontal member 54 of an L- shaped support. The member 64 extends in a horizontal direction beneath the needle head 3 and terminates intermediate the needle and the presser foot I2 and in spaced relationship thereto. The pusher finger 60 is bent to provide a leg 65 which extends in a horizontal direction toward the operator and which terminates to the left of the needle and is normally in spaced relationship thereto. The leg 65 is a'dapted to engage and shift the needle 5, as will be hereafter explained. Adjacent its free end, the leg 65 is provided with a needle-engaging surface 66 which tapers toward the front thereof. In order that the surface 66 effectively engages the needle 5, it is preferably roughened, such as by being corrugated (see Figure 6).

The horizontal member 64 is made integral with a vertical member 1!], which is provided with a boss I2 at the top thereof. A post I4 is adjustably mounted in the bOss I2 and is secured in adjusted position by a set screw I6. The post I4 is secured at its top, in any convenient manner, as by welding, to one end of a spring I8, the other end of the spring I8 being secured by screws to a forwardly extending and downwardly inclined arm 82 of the bracket 50. The shape of the support suspended from the spring 13 is such that the surface 66 of the pusher finger I30 will be normally positioned to the left of and in slightly spaced relationship with respect to the needle (as shown in Figure 1). so that the needle may reciprocate in its normally vertical path without engagement by the pusher finger, and also so that upon movement of the support the surface 66 will move to the right (in Figure 1) to engage the needle and push it toward the right. Due to the resiliency and flexibility of the needle, the pressure exerted by the finger B9 on the needle will bend or incline the needle below the shank thereof until the surface 66 of the pusher finger 60 is moved out of engaging contact therewith.

To impart the necessary movement to the support which carries the pusher finger 60, the member 64 is provided with a downwardly extending pin 99 which is adapted to be engaged by a finger 92 at predetermined periods of time whereby the desired movement of the needle pusher finger is effected. The finger 92 is bent (see Figure 1) downwardly and the downward portion 93 curved so that the free end thereof is disposed to the left of the pin 99 (as shown in Figure 1). The horizontal portion 94 of the pusher finger 92 is adjustably mounted in a boss 95 and a housing 96 carried on a rock lever 98. The rock lever 98 is secured to a rock shaft I60 mounted in a bearing I62 formed at the free end of the arm 82 of the bracket 56. The horizontal portion 94 of the pusher finger 92 is provided with an enlargement I26 which is slidably mounted in the boss 95 and the housing 96, Extending from the enlargement IE6 is a threaded stem I08 which cooperates with a knurled headed nut II!) whereby the pusher finger 92 may be adjusted so that it can engage the pin at the desired intervals. A spring H2, coiled around the stem I08 and secured between one end of the enlargement I05 and the shoulder 91, helps to maintain the pusher finger 92 in proper position.

The portion H4 of the pusher finger 92 which is adapted to engage the pin 90 is provided with a surface tapering toward the free end thereof. It is apparent that when the surface II4 of the pusher finger 92 is brought into engagement-with the pin 90 by rocking of the lever 98 in a direction away from the operator (to the left in Fig. 5), it Will cam the L-shaped support to the right (as seen in Fig. 2), whereby the needle pusher finger 68 will engage the needle and incline it also to the right. When the surface H4 of the pusher finger 92 is not in engagement with the pin 90, the spring I8 will serve to position the support so that the pusher finger 92 will be in inefiective position with respect to the pin 90.

As previously mentioned, the finger 92 is actuated at predetermined intervals to efiect bending or shifting of the needle 5, and the means for actuating said pusher finger 02 will now be explained. On the rock shaft I00, one end of a slotted lever its is secured by means of a screw l2'2. The slot I24 of the slotted lever I20 cooperates with a pin i125 carried on one end of a lever $28, the other end of the lever 120 being secured to an eccen i 632 secured to one end of a shaft l A ng nut Hi cooperating with the pin 52% secures the lever 20 in adjusted position in the slotted lever 120.

The shaft 3 3 is rotatably mounted in a hearing its at one end of an arm formed integral with the bracket 50. The shaft ltd (as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4) is also rotatably carried in a boss Hit of a bracket M2 secured to the sewing machine head by means of screws let, The shaft it l carries a pulley r50 which cooperates with a belt i52 which is driven by a pulley 54! attached to the drive shaft '1 of the machine adjacent the driving pulley 6 thereof. A housing I60 is appropriately mounted on brackets 552 to surround the pulleys let and let and the belt I52.

t is to be noted that the drive shaft ld is disposed. at the rear of the machine, below the overhanging arm 2 and above the work support.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that during operation the needle 5 will reciprocafe in its normally vertical path of travel and make straight stitches. At predetermined intervals, the pusher finger 02 will engage the pin 9i and shift the support suspended from the spring i i. The shifting of the support will cause the needle-en aging finger 60 to engage the needle 5 below the shank thereof and incline or bend it so that, while so engaged, the path of the needle will be at an angle with respect to its normal path travel. Before the needle presents the thread to the looper, such as just prior to completely penetratin the goods, the finger 92 will release the pin so, whereby the spring i3 will restore the bracket, and particularly the mom ber B t, to its normal position whereby the needle pusher finger 92 will release the needle and the latter, due to its inherent resiliency, will resume its normal vertical position so that the book of the macline may cooperate with the loop of thread formed thereby, The bending of the needle and the restoration thereof to its original position, as hereinbefore described, produces a cross-stitch. The size of the cross-stitch is controlled by adjustment of the lever H28 in the slotted lever i120 and by the adjustment of the actuating finger E32 within the housing.

()n a plate lid, secured to the base I by means of a screw H 2, there is secured, as by soldering, a folder lid of the type which will form an edge fold in which the edge of the material is disposed intermediate the top and bottom plies of the edge fold. Such a folder is well known in the art and therefore, since the specific details of the folding mechanism except as hereinafter clescribed form no part of this invention, further description thereof is not necessary.

The folder I'M is provided with a member I70 which terminates in a tongue I78 projecting beyond the delivery and of the folder I'M and which is positioned between the top and intermediate plies of the edge fold. As shown in Figure 9, the tongue H8 is rounded at its corners and flares slightly outwardly toward the front thereof. Due to this construction, the tongue I18 serves to remove any puckers which might be present in the edge fold leaving the folder, and also serves to make the edge fold of uniform size. After the folded material passes from the tongue I 18, it passes in a horizontal direction through a guide I carried ona plate I02. The

plate I82 is of a shape substantially as shown in Figure '9 and is provided with a slot I04 whereby it may be adjustably positioned on a plate [80 by means of a screw I88. The plate I 80 is secured to the base I of the machine by means of a screw I90.

As shown in Figure 10, the guide I50 has a vertical member I92 which is adapted to engage the inner edge of the fold and a horizontal member I94 which is adapted to pass between the under side of the intermediate ply and the inner side of the bottom ply. The longitudinal edge I05 of the member 194 is preferably rounded to permit easy movement of the plies thereof. From the guide I80, which serves also to maintain the size of the edge fold, the folded material is passed in a horizontal direction through the path of travel of the needle and thence under the presser foot I 2, whereby it will be fed through the machine. In order to provide the necessary tension, the tongue I18 is positioned relative to the guide I80 so that the fold, as it leaves the tongue I78, will be slightly bent transversely thereof. As shown in Figure 9, the left edge of the tongue H8 is slightly offset with respect to the vertical member I92 of the guide I80.-

In operation, a fabric 200 is fed through the folder whereby the longitudinal edge thereof is folded to form an edge fold in which the base material 200 constitutes the lower ply, the ply 202 constitutes th top ply,v and the ply 20d constitutes the intermediate ply. The intermediate ply 20 3 may be less in width than or coextensive with the top ply 202. The material thus folded passes through the guide I 80 whereby the vertical member Hi2 engages the inner bend 205 of the edge fold and the member H34 extends between the bottom ply 200 and the intermediate ply Zil i. From the guide I80, the material passes through the path of travel of the needie to beneath the presser foot, where it is engaged and fed through the machine by the feed dogs. The guide I80 is positioned relative to the needle so that when the material is passed therefrom through the path of travel of the needle and the needle is operating in its normal path, the needle will stitch the base material 200 in close proximity to the bend 200 without stitching through any portion of the edge fold. Thus, while the needle is operating in its normally vertical path, there will be formed a plurality of straight stitches 2l0 in the fabric 200 in close proximity to the bend 206. After making a predetermined number of straight stitches 2I0, such as, for example, three straight stitches as shown in Figure 11, the needle 5 is bent or shifted by the mechanisms hereinbefore described so that the needle will make the cross-stitch 2I2 which penetrates all three plies of the fold. The crossstitches 2I2 are substantially V-shaped and are the only stitches which secure the plies of the hem, so that that portion of the hem intermediate the cross-stitches is free, i. e. not secured to the base or any of the plies. Due to the construction of the stitch, it will not crack or break when subjected to longitudinal tension and the hem will be soft and flexible. The number of straight stitches 2l'0 intermediate the cross stitches 2| 2 is dependent upon the ratio of the pulleys I50, I54. If the pulleys are of a 2:1 ratio as shown, a single straight stitch 2I0 will be formed. If the pulleys have a 4:1 ratio, three 7 straight stitches will be formed as shown in Fig.11. Any desired ratio may be used.

The invention provides a new and novel form of hem, and particularly a new and novel stitch arrangement for securing the hem in position. Though the invention has been described in connection with the production of a hemmed material in which the hem consists of three plies, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted thereto, since the hem may be formed of a greater or lesser number of plies.

No claims are herein presented for the apparatus for producing the hemmed material since such apparatus forms the subject matter of my copending application for Sewing machine and attachment therefor for making cross-stitches, Serial N 0. 578,848, filed on even date herewith.

Since it is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the above description without departing from the nature or spirit thereof, this invention is not restricted thereto except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method which comprises forming an edge fold in base material in which the original edge of the material is positioned intermediate top and bottom plies, stitching only the base material adjacent the inner edge of the edge fold with a single line of straight stitches without passing through any of the plies of the edge fold, and at predetermined intervals stitching through the edge fold and the base material to secure the plies of the edge fold to the base material.

2. A method which comprises forming an edge fold in base material in which the original edge of the material is positioned intermediate top and bottom plies, stitching only the base material adjacent the inner edge of the edge fold with a single line of straight stitches without passing through any of the plies of the edge fold, and at predetermined intervals stitching through the edge fold adjacent the inner bend thereof and the base material to secure the plies of the edge fold to the base material.

3. A method which comprises forming an edge fold in base material in which the original edge of the material is positioned intermediate top and bottom plies, stitching only the base material adjacent the inner edge'of the edge fold with a single line of straight stitches without passing through any of the plies of the edge fold, and at predetermined intervals stitching through the edge fold and the base material with a crossstitch to secure the plies of the edge fold to the base material.

4. A method which comprises forming an edge fold in base material in which the original edge of the material is positioned intermediate top and bottom plies, stitching only the base material adjacent the inner edge of the edge fold with a single line of straight stitches without passing through any of the plies of the edge fold, and at predetermined intervals stitching through the edge fold adjacent the inner bend thereof and the base material with a cross-stitch to secure the plies of the edge fold to the base material.

5. A method which comprises forming an edge fold in base material in which the original edge of the material is positioned intermediate top and bottom plies, feeding the material with the edge fold out of the path of a normally vertically reciprocating needle to produce a plurality of straight stitches in the base material only, and at predetermined intervals causing the needle to 8 stitch through the edge fold and the base material to secure the plies of the edge fold to the base material.

6. A method which comprises forming an edge fold in base material in which the original edge of the material is positioned intermediate top and bottom plies, feeding the material with the edge fold out of the path of a normally vertically reciprocating needle to produce a plurality of straight stitches in the base material only, and at predetermined intervals causing the needle to stitch through the edge fold adjacent the inner bend thereof and the base material to secure the plies of the edge fold to the base material.

7. A method which comprises forming an edge fold in base material in which the original edge of the material is positioned intermediate top and bottom plies, feeding the material with the edge fold out of the path of a normally vertically reciprocating needle to produce a plurality of straight stitches in the base material only, and at predetermined intervals inclining the needle to stitch through the edge fold and the base material to secure the plies of the edge fold to the base material.

8. A method which comprises forming an edge fold in base material in which the original edge of the material is positioned intermediate top and bottom plies, feeding the material with the edge fold out of the path of a normally vertically reciprocating needle to produce a plurality of straight stitches in the base material only, and at predetermined intervals inclining the needle to stitch through the edge fold adjacent the inner bend thereof and the base material to secure the plies of the edge fold to the base material.

9. An article of manufacture comprising a base material having an edge fold in which the original edge of the material is positioned intermediate the top and bottom plies of said edge fold, cross-stitches at spaced intervals passing through the plies of the edge fold and the base material to secure the plies of the edge fold to the base material, and a plurality of straight stitches intermediate said cross-stitches, said straight stitches passing through the base material only and in close proximity to the inner edge of the edge fold.

10. An article of manufacture comprising abase material having an edge fold in which the original edge of the material is positioned intermediate the top and bottom plies of said edge fold, cross-stitches at spaced intervals passing through the plies of the edge fold adjacent the inner bend thereof and the base material to secure the plies of the edge fold to the base material, and a plurality of straight stitches intermediate said cross-stitches, said straight stitches passing through the base material only and in close proximity to the inner edge of the edge fold.

CHARLES SEAMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 364,586 Green June '7, 1887 498,331 Tracy May 30, 1893 1,133,809 Lewis Mar. 30, 1915 1,495,254 De Voe May 27, 1924 1,823,954 Sailer Sept. 22, 1931 1,926,761 Buono et al Sept. 12, 1933 1,943,300 De Voe Jan. 16, 1934 

